This guide will help you identify and locate sources for your GVPT 200 short paper assignment on international relations.
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Judy Markowitz
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From your syllabus:
Essay Questions: Choose One
1. Consider the global climate strikes in September 2019, which mobilized significant participation by youth around the world (including at the University of Maryland). Some consider this example of transnational activism a landmark effort to address climate change, perhaps akin to the successful “transnational advocacy networks” (TANs) described by Keck and Sikkink in the context of the Anglo-American anti-slavery movement of the 19th century. Yet others see it as unlikely to be effective at changing policy in the long term, for various reasons. What is your view?
2. The United States and Russia agreed on February 3, 2021 to extend New START, and it will now expire on February 5, 2026. The treaty imposes limits on strategic nuclear warheads and bombs (capped at 1,555 per side), and also limits on ICBMs, SLBMs, and heavy bombers assigned to nuclear missions, among other conditions. While some applaud these arms control agreements, others worry they disadvantage one country more than the other, particularly in the wake of the current Ukraine crisis. Some argue that the US in particular should not undercut its own power, since many other countries depend on it for protection. In 2026, do you think the US and Russia should seek to extend New START once again, or not? Explain.
3. Choose one of the following countries undergoing some form of crisis: (1) Afghanistan; (2) Myanmar; (3) Ethiopia; (4) Yemen; (5) Haiti; (6) South Sudan; (7) Venezuela; or (8) Ukraine. Is it in the US national interest to intervene in some way (or more actively so) in the country you selected? If so, why? Be as specific as possible to describe and justify the type of intervention you recommend. If not, why not?
4. What do you think the implications of the world’s experience with COVID right now will be for international cooperation, particularly around future public health crises? Do you expect improvements in such cooperation the next time a pandemic strikes? Or do you expect little change, or even cooperation that is less effective? Explain your reasoning.
